WOMEN IN THE HOME

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22431, 18 June 1938, Page 2

WOMEN IN THE HOME

WASHING THE WOOLLIES HOW TO PRESERVE ELASTICITY At this time of the year one of the major problems 'of every household is that of washing and drying the woollies, so that they will keep their new appearance and shape. In this matter we are reminded of, the old lady’s advice to a young woman for happiness in marriage:. “Wash your husband’s woollies yourselE my dear, and swill them twice." There is a wise philosophy contained in those simple words. No doubt, at one tune or another, most people have seethed with impotent rage on finding their favourite woolly miserably shrunken, or a hitherto well-fitting jumper stretched to a shapeless object. A cardigan which has taken hours to knit can be ruined in a few minutes by wrong methods. Some machine-knitted garments are labelled unshrinkable, which is rather a wide claim with such an article as wool, and the diversity, of treatment to which it may be subjected, it really means that the. garment has been already “shrunk” in the process of making, and with reasonable care will retain the high standard of quality which made it expensive m the first place. Preserve Elasticity •The characteristic fluffiness and elasticity of the woollen fibres are due to their structure. Under the microscope, a fibre/is shown to be covered with numbers of tiny scales which project downwards. When several fibres are placed together these scales interlock, and this interlocking gives to wool its power of felting or shrinking. Th 6 closer the scales, the greater the felting capacity. These woollen fibres are easily affected by. adverse conditions in the first washing, so that the material or knitted garment may lose its elasticity and become thickened and felted. The new appearance and shape are then immediately affected, and are never regained. There are several causes for this damage, most of Which may be avoided with care. When wet, wool is easily harmed by extremes of temperature either of water or atiho* sphere. The' fibres are weakened by soap containing too much soda, and felted by hot water; by rubbing soap on the soiled places; by delay between the various processes; by drying too slowly or too quickly, and by ironing when too wet. When wet, wool can be pulled into shape, so that loss of style is usually due to neglectful handling and unsuitable arrangements for drying. Add a Little Borax The actual process of washing should be carried out as quickly as possible. It is much the wiser plan to have plenty of warm water—the heat of the hand isf right—ready before beginning work. Prepare the soapy lather (some of the proprietary soap-flakes are all that is claimed for this purpose! to which little borax may be added for white woollens, especially useful the first time of washing and also facilitating the removal of dirt. Shake the garments first to remove any surface dust, and then place in the lather. Press and squeeze it without rubbing uhtu clean. The wringing is important, and if possible wrap the woollen in a light towel, then run through the jvringer with the screws loosened . This prevents breaking of the fibres through too great a pressure. Then put into the first rinsing water which should be at the same temperature as the lather and may, for white woollens, have a little borax added. It is essential to remove all traces of soap. After wringing again, rinse in fresh warm water, which should be left clear. Next proceed to dry.—The atmosphere affects the woollens, and it is a mistake to place them either in too hot sunshine, or oh the line on a frosty morning. The practice, which has grown recently i of placing the-woollen garment flat btetween sheets of newspaper ..and putting thus under a rug on the floor may seem strange to those who have not tried it. However, it is proved from results that IJae woolly dries beautifully in this way, and under the pressure of footfalls on the rug, the paper absorbs the moisture and the garment is kept in shape. After a day or so, the garment looks just like new, retaining its softness and shapeliness. Of course, this method is not applicable on a large scale. Keep Garments in Shape Some latitude has to be allowed in housekeeping method where the woollies are concerned, and If possible it is wiser to delay washing them when the day is obviously unsuitable for dndng outside. It is never good for woollens to remain wet too long, of on the other hand to be dried by the heat of the fire. Interview the weather clerk and request a day of mild sunshine with a light breeze. Whenever woollens are hung out, the greatest care is needed in pegging; wherever possible, it is much better to place them flat on towels to absorb the moisture, turning the garments as drying proceeds. when nearly dry they may be placed on coathangers or over the line to finish. Loosely knitted articles with , pockets and buttonholes which are likbly to stretch out of shape should have these tacked down with a running thread before washing. This helps to overcome the possibility of sagging at these places. The woolly should be carefully pulled into shape and correct size while drying, and should be finally lightly -ironed with a warm iron and well aired before using. It is easy to keep the fringe of a scarf or shawl soft and fluffy, if the scarf is doubled over and the fringe lightly beaten against the edge of a table and then separated with the fingers or finished with a comb lightly used. Coloured Woollens When washing coloured woollens for the first time, it is wise to test the effect of soap and water with a specimen. If the colour, such as crimson or red or any variegated colour, is likely to run, the garment may be steeped for about 15 minutes beforehand in warm water containing salt, a handful to a gallon of water, and then washed as quickly as possible in warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly—a tablespoon of vinegar in the first rinsing water will brighten the colour again.. In difficult cases, a cloth may be placed over the garment so that there is a fold" of cloth between the folds of material, and this will prevent, the colours running.

When washing unravelled wool for reknitting, the same principles are followed as for garments. Unravelled wool which does not need to be washed before using again may have the crinkles taken out by holding the hanks in steam from boiling water. This fluffs up the wool again, making it like new.

WEST OF ENGLAND SOCIETY

The West of England Society’s fortnightly social was held in the Orange Hall. The president, Mr P. E. L, Broad, occupied the chair. There was a very large attendance of members and their friends.

Competitions held during the evening were won by the following;— Monte Carlo, Mrs M..Dowling and Miss N. Allen; lucky entrance. Miss E. Elliott and Mr B. Black; statue waltz. Miss L. Taylor and Mr Le Compte; lucky spot, Misses M. McDonald and E. Elljott. Mr Trevor-Smith acted as master of ceremonies, and the music was supplied by Alex. Campbell’s Gaiety Orchestra.